渔夫彼得
约翰福音一章35至42节
35再次日,约翰同两个门徒站在那里。
36他见耶稣行走,就说:“看哪,这是神的羔羊!”
37两个门徒听见他的话,就跟从了耶稣。
38耶稣转过身来,看见他们跟着,就问他们说:“你们要甚么?”他们说:“拉比(“拉比”翻出来就是“夫子”),在哪里住?”
39耶稣说:“你们来看。”他们就去看他在哪里住,这一天便与他同住。那时约有申正了。
40听见约翰的话,跟从耶稣的那两个人,一个是西门彼得的兄弟安得烈。
41他先找着自己的哥哥西门,对他说:“我们遇见弥赛亚了(“弥赛亚”翻出来就是“基督”)!”
42于是领他去见耶稣。耶稣看着他说:“你是约翰的儿子西门(注:“约翰”马太16章17节称“约拿”),你要称为矶法(“矶法”翻出来就是“彼得”)。”
信息分享
彼得显然成为门徒中间的领袖,或充当发言人的角色。
「西门」是彼得的希伯来名字(徒十五14),而基督则为他起名叫「彼得」,这是一个希腊名字,意思是石头或磐石。「矶法」是亚兰文的叫法,在基督的时代,亚兰文是巴勒斯坦地的一种通用语言。
我们许多人都可以在彼得身上见到自己的影子。他性急、冲动,时常未经细想便冲口而出或作出行动。他有乐于助人的性格,纵使会因此惹上麻烦。他既刚强,但同时又软弱。最初是他的兄弟安得烈带领他认识耶稣。
基督看着他(42节),就立即知道他的性格和潜质了。彼得显然是从北边的加利利远道南来,聆听施洗约翰的讲道。但当他遇见耶稣,他就忠诚跟从基督。他永不会忘记基督看着他并为他改名的那一刻。
我们在彼得身上看见一个美好的例子,就是人只要承认耶稣基督就是神的儿子和救主,基督就能使用他。
若你将生命交在祂的手里,祂就会在你的里面、并透过你去达成祂的旨意──由今日直至回天家的日子。
今日祷告:「主啊,我愿意将我的一生分别为圣归给你。」
PETER THE BIG FISHERMAN
John 1: 35-42
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.
36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah.[i] You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).
Message
It was characteristic of Peter that he seemed to have been the leader or the spokesman for the whole group.
His given Hebrew name was Simeon. (Acts 15:14) That became Simon and then Christ called him Peter, which was really Greek and meant a stone or rock. Cephas is the same name in Aramaic, the common language of Palestine in Christ's day.
Many of us see ourselves in Peter. He was quick, impulsive, sometimes saying the wrong things, and sometimes acting first and thinking afterwards. He was all the time wanting to be helpful even if it got him into trouble. He seemed to have been both a strong and a weak man. His brother Andrew brought him to Jesus.
Christ looked at this man (v.2) and immediately knew both his character and his potential. No doubt Peter had come south from Galilee to hear John the Baptist’s preach. But when he met Jesus, his allegiance was transferred to Christ. Peter never forgot that moment when Christ looked at him and changed his name.
Peter is a wonderful example of how Christ can use anyone who will recognise Him for what He is - Jesus Christ, Son of God and Saviour of all who will believe in Him.
If you have yielded your life to Him, there is no limit to what He can do in and through you - now and until He calls you home.
SAY IT TODAY: “Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee.”

